欲念 (yù niàn) — desire; craving; lust

Definition

A literary/formal word for 'desire, craving, lust' — usually unwanted urges (greed, lust, obsession). Stronger and more abstract than the everyday 欲望, with a negative moral connotation.

noun
desirecravinglust

Examples

  • 欲念。
    Tā xīn zhōng chōng mǎn le gè zhǒng yù niàn.
    His heart is filled with all kinds of desires.
  • 欲念。
    Duì quán lì de yù niàn ràng tā mí shī le zì jǐ.
    His lust for power made him lose himself.
  • 欲念。
    Tā nǔ lì kè zhì zì jǐ de yù niàn.
    She tried hard to restrain her own desires.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

欲yùdesire
念niànthought or wish

欲 means desire, and 念 means thought or wish; together they name a craving or lust.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
欠欠qiàn
Sound part声符shēngfú
谷
谷gǔ欲yù
Same sound today

欲 is made of 谷, which supplies the sound, and 欠, which relates to the meaning.

Open 欲 →

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

念 combines 今, an upside-down mouth, with 心, the heart, to listen to one's heart.

Open 念 →

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